


Tavern

by kipto



Category: Dungeons & Dragons (Roleplaying Game), Dungeons & Dragons - All Media Types, Just Roll With It (Podcast)
Genre: Bleeding, Canon Universe, JRWItober, M/M, Near Death Experiences, Sharing a Bed, Tavern, octavius bandaging redd's wounds, octavius sleep deprived, redd dumb
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-09
Updated: 2020-10-09
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:41
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,578
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26908555
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kipto/pseuds/kipto
Summary: “Why are you sitting up?” He fussed to him, quickly rushing over. “Lay back down, it’s only been a few hours—you should rest.”“Nice to see you too doc.” Redd hadn’t expected his voice to come out so raspy and hushed.“I’d be glad to see you as well, if you weren’t bleeding out in the middle of the tavern.”“It wasn’t that bad.”Octavius snapped, “Quit fussing and lay down.”-JRWITOBER Day 8 -- TavernRedd takes up a challenge and Octavius dutifully helps him deal with the consequences.
Relationships: Redd & Octavius, Redd/Octavius
Comments: 4
Kudos: 16





	Tavern

**Author's Note:**

> soo i wont be writing out all the days, i only did this one because i didn't draw anything for today and today was p busy !! i do wanna write more jrwitober prompts but perhaps not too soon ... ANYWAYS enjoy my favorite underrated ship {:
> 
> also this isnt edited,, sorry for any mistakes beforehand fdshfaj

It was such an easy assignment. It was _such_ an easy task. He promised himself that he wouldn’t back out of a challenge, and for once in his life—he actually stuck with that promise. 

He knew he was naturally rowdy, reckless and chaotic even. He’d been called a reckless piece a shit for his entire life, and there were a few times that he could recall himself repeating those words in his head like a regret that played on loop. 

Now had happened to be one of those times; the words _reckless shithead_ or _arrogant dumbass, you’ll always be a worthless boy who knows nothing but how to piss people off_ echoed in his head, familiar voices screaming at him as he limped on the path that he hoped would lead to a familiar tavern. 

_It wasn’t that bad_ , he thought to himself. His hands were a stained wet crimson, but if he wrapped his cloak tight enough around his chest, then maybe it could cover up his now bloodied shirt and quite deep claw wound.

Running might’ve been bad for his health at the moment, heavy panting and strained coughs might’ve been a sign that his body was about to shut down. But to be fair—if he hadn’t had ran then likely chance would be that he’d fall over in some alleyway and die a few hours later. Better to fall over in a place with medical professionals than some dingy alleyway with rotten piss on the walls.

It didn’t hit him right away—how bad the searing pain was—until he found himself suddenly at the door of the tavern. The bright light of the hung torches turned into blurry blobs, and ringing grew louder and louder in his ear. And then his hand met the grimy texture of a wooden floor, as he felt the rest of his weight collapse soon after.

He looked up, blinked, and then realized he was no longer at the door but rather inside, in between a few brimming tables of laughing tavern-goers. Or, shocked taver-gowers. Either way—there was quite the commotion going around him. He wouldn’t have been too surprised if it was some funny joke that he missed out on—he couldn’t exactly hear anything past the muffled yells and ringing.

Glancing down, he winced at how solid red his hand was, and the alarming amount of crimson liquid that dripped out into a puddle around him. For some reason, his hand touched his face—and he grimaced as he felt cold blood smear his face. _Gross._

The sharp wound on his chest stung, and there wasn’t much he could do but grip the floorboards and hope that someone looked away from this supposed _funny joke_ and saw that a disheveled red-haired man was bleeding to death.

Maybe he even prayed. If you asked him, he’d deny it with a scorned _”Gods have done nothing good for me, why the hell would I pray to them?”_

“Redd!”

The voice was so heavily muffled, but in the sea of drinkers, that single voice stood out to him the most. One that had risen above the rest, and like magic it seemed to almost silence the rest of them. He probably couldn’t tell you though, _he couldn’t really hear shit._

Even though Redd had thought in initial epiphany that _maybe the Gods finally had listened to his prayers_ , it was no deity from a different plane. It was no celestial or hellish being that had heard his cries. 

Though not being able to properly see him in his blurred vision, the blobs of black and tan somehow looked heavenly to him, the light of the torches reflecting off the frames of his glasses and the soft complexion of his skin.

Perhaps if his thoughts weren’t as stirred as they were then, he would’ve been able to stop the slurred mumbles that slipped past his lips.

“You’re so beautiful.”

When he awoke several hours later, the first thing he noticed was that the searing pain in his chest had reduced to aching soreness wrapped in fresh bandages. It still hurt like hell, but he could see and hear clearly.

The second thing he noticed, was the familiar doctor sat on a nearby chair, his eyes droopy and focused on a journal on his lap. Redd seethed his teeth as he struggled to sit up in the bed, holding in his bandaged chest.

Upon further inspection, he realized he wasn’t in the clinic bed in that familiar tavern, but rather a warm bedroom. Sun shined in through the windows as the quiet chatter of the townspeople could be heard just right outside.

He cleared his throat, ignoring the way his voice seemed to waver in sore pain. Octavius’s head shot up from his lap, as he looked over at Redd. He sighed, closing the journal and setting it on a dresser.

“Why are you sitting up?” He fussed to him, quickly rushing over. “Lay back down, it’s only been a few hours—you should rest.”

“Nice to see you too doc.” Redd hadn’t expected his voice to come out so raspy and hushed. 

“I’d be glad to see you as well, if you weren’t bleeding out in the middle of the tavern.”

“It wasn’t that bad.”

Octavius snapped, “Quit fussing and lay down.”

Redd frowned, laying down on his back. He looked up at the doctor, who had kneeled next to him, seeming to check over his bandaged chest. He fought away the butterflies in his cheeks as his hand roamed his mostly bare torso.

“You should sleep.”

“I need to replace your bandages again.”

“Th-They look fresh, Octavius. You got bags under your eyes, go—” Red stopped, thinking about his sentence and then raising his eyebrow at the doctor. “Where am I?”

“My bedroom, I didn’t want to keep you in the tavern clinic overnight, I had to redress your bandages a few times.”

Redd couldn’t fight the blush off his face this time, and instead chose to cover it up with a playful grin. “So, you took me to your bedroom? On your bed?”

“Be thankful I didn’t leave you to bleed out.” Octavius’s voice came out in a snarl, whether it was intended or not.

Redd winced, not expecting that kind of response. He had expected the usual embarrassment, flush of his cheeks and some nervous reassurance. 

“Uh—thank you for saving me..?” 

The doctor sighed, sitting next to him on the bed. He lifted his glasses, tearing them off his face and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

“I—I’m sorry. I’m just.. I’m exhausted, I didn’t sleep.”

“Clearly. This is your room, I can rest on that chair over there, the one you were just sitting in.”

“No, you have a bandaged wound. I can lay next to you, we’ll be fine.”

“But you healed me, you deserve to rest.”

“But you _need_ to rest.”

Redd stopped for a moment, chuckling. A beat of silence, and then he shimmied ever so slightly to the side, patting down the empty space.

“Just come lie with me, then.”

Octavius nodded, slipping in easily next to him. He didn’t snuggle underneath the blankets at first, laying on his back and just sighing.

“You almost died last night.” He found himself muttering.

Redd turned to his side with a wince, “Oh?”

“It’s just—the wound wasn’t that deep. It was laced with some sort of poison, and you got to me pretty later after you got the wound I assumed—and I-I thought I wouldn’t have been able to disinfect you in time…” 

“Hey, hey, Octavius.” 

He looked over at his patient, red hair falling over his sleepy eyes. 

“I’m here. You saved me, and I’m here.” 

Redd’s hand trailed to his, not quite interlocking them, but resting his fingers on top of his and giving it a light squeeze. Octavius couldn’t stop the light smile on his face, as held it tightly to his chest. 

“I know. I just can’t stop thinking about it, and what on Gods’ plane I would do i-if I had failed..” He whispered, his voice wavering.

“Then don’t think about it.”

Octavius suddenly felt Redd’s head at his side, his hand lightly grasping on to his. The doctor turned to his side, resting Redd’s head on his chest and caressing his fingers through his greasy hair.

“I’m supposed to be the one comforting you.” He mumbled.

Despite Redd’s head being tucked deeply into his clothed chest, Octavius could hear him as clear as day. “You always help me when I get into some stupid shit. I think you deserve to be comforted too.”

“You can’t keep doing stupid shit.”

“I know. I’ll change one day.”

“I never said to change,” He instinctively kissed the top of his head. “I just said stop showing up at my door all bloodied and battered. There’s more to life than getting into stupid fights.”

Redd laughed, “Oh yeah? Like what?”

 _Like me,_ Octavius had wanted to say. But then he froze, they had never held each other this close. He could’ve been completely misinterpreting this entire interaction. He had almost bled out, it’s completely unheard of men doing stupid shit whenever their brain gets all wracked from _almost dying._

But then warmth hugged him again, and the words escaped past his lips with little to no effort to stop them.

“Like me.”

Redd hummed, “That’s a good reason.”

**Author's Note:**

> thanks for reading !!
> 
> for more brainrot, follow me on twitter !! -----> _**@dysToye**_


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